Found a weird thing

[DonVhanDude]

So, unfortunately, I don't have picture, and I know that would help a lot but Ive been searching all night, and I can't find this thing I found in Bear Creek, my buddy told me its a whip scorpion, its not dangerous, and uses its tail to breath. Okay, well, first off, this ain't no whip scorpion, I don't know what it was, but I know it wasn't that. About half an inch long, (tiny, right?) White, maybe off white, six legs, and I can tell you for a fact it lives in water. Me and my buddy were trying to catch frogs when I found it, I didn't know what it was, and you know the rest. Found it in Medford, Oregon, any ideas what it may be?

 

[bioLogic]

That doesn't sound like a scorpion. Could it have been a mayfly larvae?

 

[zonbonzovi]

Look up genus Ranatra. Does that look about right?

 

[Biollantefan54]

He beat me ^ I have found them but they have always been huge, I have heard they are called water scorpions.

 

[Tenevanica]

So, unfortunately, I don't have picture, and I know that would help a lot but Ive been searching all night, and I can't find this thing I found in Bear Creek, my buddy told me its a whip scorpion, its not dangerous, and uses its tail to breath. Okay, well, first off, this ain't no whip scorpion, I don't know what it was, but I know it wasn't that. About half an inch long, (tiny, right?) White, maybe off white, six legs, and I can tell you for a fact it lives in water. Me and my buddy were trying to catch frogs when I found it, I didn't know what it was, and you know the rest. Found it in Medford, Oregon, any ideas what it may be?

Maybe as others have suggested it's a waterscorpion. Family Nepidae

http://bugguide.net/node/view/109

If it wasn't that, my best guess would be a dragonfly naiad.

 

[DonVhanDude]

Unfortunately, its not ANY of those things. I'm not sure how familiar y'all are with bea creek, but its hella, HELLA polluted, so whatever it is, its resilient, man. Think about like a mix of damselfy larvae, and mayfly larvae, but like, hella thin, about the roundness of a twig, completely whitish, no visible features really defining it, (mouth, see, etc.) And if I were to put it on my hand, stretched out, it'd reach from my wrist, to my first thumb knuckle.

 

[Hisserdude]

Whatever it is, it sounds weird, you have to go take a picture of it.

 

[Exuviae]

When you say it breathes with its tail, was it more snorkel-like, like in water scorpions and mosquito larvae, or more gill-like, like in damselfly naiads?

 

[Tenevanica]

Unfortunately, its not ANY of those things. I'm not sure how familiar y'all are with bea creek, but its hella, HELLA polluted, so whatever it is, its resilient, man. Think about like a mix of damselfy larvae, and mayfly larvae, but like, hella thin, about the roundness of a twig, completely whitish, no visible features really defining it, (mouth, see, etc.) And if I were to put it on my hand, stretched out, it'd reach from my wrist, to my first thumb knuckle.

There are Nepidae that fit your description. They can survive in heavily polluted conditions.

 

[Biollantefan54]

I found one of those in the nastiest creek I have ever seen ^

 

[DonVhanDude]

Just know that this creek has been every colour, and then some. Literally. But I don't even know, it was like... Oh, like an Arizona bark scorpion, only tiny, with no claws, and eggshell coloured. That's how I remember it, about an inch long, give or take, tail and all. Calvin said it was a whip scorpion, it breathes with its tail, so its not venomous, but it CAN bite, but he's never been bitten, but assumes it would feel like an ants bite. (Just for another comparison, it LOOKED like it might hurt about as much as an ant if it bit you)

 

[DonVhanDude]

There are Nepidae that fit your description. They can survive in heavily polluted conditions.

View attachment 204600

And dude, that thing... That's just creepy

 

[Toxoderidae]

I think I know, is it a pseudoscorpion? They kinda fit your description, BUT die in polluted areas..

 

[DonVhanDude]

Nope. I'm starting to think it might be a freak mutation, or something. Nobody seems to know what it is.

 

[dragonfire1577]

diving beetle larvae? dragonfly or damselfly nymph? mayfly nymph? just throwing out things that live in streams at this point.

 

[dragonfire1577]

Nope. I'm starting to think it might be a freak mutation, or something. Nobody seems to know what it is.

I don't think we know what it is because there are a lot of aquatic insects that can be tiny and white (especially after a molt) and we don't have an image to work off of.

 

[DonVhanDude]

Nah, but the diving beetle larvae is almost exactly like it. But it was thinner, and its tail curved over it, like a scorpion, and it didn't have ay visible mandibles.

 

[Exuviae]

Maybe a caddisfly larva? I frequently find them kind of curled up.

 

[Tenevanica]

Nope. I'm starting to think it might be a freak mutation, or something. Nobody seems to know what it is.

Freak mutations don't usually just happen like that in the wild. I suggest you browse through bugguide.net

 

[dragonfire1577]

Nah, but the diving beetle larvae is almost exactly like it. But it was thinner, and its tail curved over it, like a scorpion, and it didn't have ay visible mandibles.

a few types of diving beetle larvae often carry their tails sticking up above them and can fold their mandibles pretty much completely closed plus turn white after molting.